Article packaging machine



ATTORNEYS 8 Sheets-Sheet 1 GEORGE E. BANGE a JOHN R. TURNER W S REYNOLDS ETAL ARTICLE PACKAGING MACHINE June 5, 1951 Filed July 31, 1948 June 1951 w. s. REYNOLDS ETAL 2,555,861

ARTICLE PACKAGING MACHINE Filed July 51, 1948 8 Sheets-Sheet 2 i- I INVENTORS:

- -i- I WARREN s. REYNOLDS,

. i GEORGE E. BANGE 8 JOHN R. TURNER ATTORNEYS W S REYNOLDS ETAL ARTICLE PACKAGING MACHINE June 5, 195] Filed July 31, 1948 June 5, 1951 Filed July 31, 1948 W. S. REYNOLDS ET AL ARTICLE PACKAGING MACHINE 8 Sheets-Sheet 4 INVENTORS: WARREN S. REYNOLDS GEORGEEBANGE a. JOHN R. TURNER M l-kw an ATTORNEYS 8 Sheets-Sheet 5 Hlllllll! IIIH llllllllllll mmunmilll W. S. REYNOLDS ET AL ARTICLE PACKAGING MACHINE OOOOOOOOO i wx June 5, 1951 Filed July 51, 1948 INVENTORS: .WARREN S. REYNOLDS, GEORGE E. BANGE 8 JOHN R. TURNER A TTORNEYS W S REYNOLDS ETAL ARTICLE PACKAGING MACHINE June 5, 195] Filed July 51, 1948 June 5, 1951 w. s. REYNOLDS ET AL 2,555,361

' ARTICLE PACKAGING MACHINE w m H o o mmmw m T (C, k w M 4 \mw rmwrww WH N @NNRN fig m MW MMM S NQ\1 GJ 8 kw @SN N Filed July 31, 1948 June 1951 w. s. REYNOLDS ET AL 2,555,361

ARTICLE PACKAGING MACHINE Filed July 31, 1948 8 Sheets-Sheet 8 INVENTORS: WARREN S. REYNOLDS,

EORGE E. BANGE 8 JOHN R. TURNER Km-W ATTORNEYS Patented June 5, 1951 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE ARTICLE PACKAGING MACHINE Warren S. Reynolds and George E. Bange, Westport, and John R. Turner, Stratford, Conn., assignors to Remington Arms Company, Inc., Bridgeport, Cnn., a corporation of Delaware Application July 31, 1948, Serial No. 41,738

18 Claims. 1

This invention relates to article packaging. The complete machine contemplates the reception of articles from each of a plurality of supply rows. A desired number of articles from each row are segregated, and the articles of each row are arranged in a desired orientation. The several rows of articles thus oriented are then simultaneously handled through suitable holding and transfer devices, and ultimately simultaneously delivered in a desired arrangement into a tray or other suitable package or package component.

More specifically, the machine contemplates means for the packaging of cartridges having indented extractor grooves or extending head flanges. Without limiting the scope of the invention, the general functioning of the specific embodiment thereof to be described is as follows:

Small cartridges, such as .22 caliberrim-fire cartridges, are ordinarily packaged in trays adapted to receive five (5) rows of ten cartridges each. The cartridges are arranged in head-and-tail sequence, that is the nose of the bullet of each cartridge stands opposite the projecting head flange or rim of each adjacent cartridge. The present machine comprises five (5) inclined trackways, each adapted to contain a continuous row of cartridges suspended by their rims. An end portion of each trackway, of such a length as to contain ten (10) cartridges, is so arranged that it may be opened to simultaneously release and drop the ten (10) cartridges therein. Each row of ten (10) cartridges thus released is received in a slotted reverser loading bar adapted for longitudinal movement.

The advance movement of each loading bar carries the row of ten (10) cartridges into a reversing device in which each cartridge is received in a slot which intersects the axis of a gear wheel supported at its periphery. The cartridges are received in the reversing device in vertical position, bullets down. Means are provided for reversely rotating adjacent wheels of the reversing device (after the withdrawal of the loading bar) through one-quarter revolution, leaving cartridges therein in a horizontal row in alterhating head-and-tail sequence. The next advance movement of the loading bar pushes the horizontally disposed row of cartridges from the reversing device onto a selected one of five supports or shelves mounted in a transfer or shelf box. Between successive operations of the loading bar each shelf box is indexed from a position opposite one reversing device to a position opposite the adjacent reversing device, so that after a shelf box has passed the fifth reversing device it contains five (5) rows of ten (10) cartridges each, each row being supported upon a shelf. The shelf box is thereafter indexed to a position opposite the transfer cell, at which position a transfer comb, adapted to enter between the shelves, is advanced to simultaneously move all five (5) rows of cartridges from the shelf box into the transfer cell. A retractable backer operating in synchronism with the transfer comb maintains the end cartridge of the assembly upright during movement into and out of the transfer cell.

The lot of fifty (50) cartridges in the transfer cell has exactly the arrangement that they will have in the packaging tray and is moved directly from the transfer cell into the tray by a platform elevator which forms the bottom of the transfer cell. The tray into which the cartridges are thrust from the transfer cell is contained in a slot or recess in the periphery of an indexable drum. The indexing movement of the drum brings each loaded tray in turn to the top thereof, at which position the loaded tray is removed and an empty tray inserted in the drum recess. Trays are constantly supplied, preferably by a conveyor which receives them directly from a tray making machine, and loaded trays removed from the drum are received upon a conveyor by which they may be carried directly to a machine for placing each tray in a tube which completes the packaging.

In the drawings:

Figs. 1 and 1a together are a somewhat diagrammatic plan view of the machine as a Whole.

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary longitudinal elevation, partly in section, substantially on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1a.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary sectional elevation, substantially on the line 3-3 of Fig. l and Fig. 1a.

Fig. 4 is a transverse sectional elevation, substantially on the line 4-4 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 51s a fragmentary horizontal section, substantially on the line 55 of Fig. 4.

Fig. 6 is a transverse sectional detail elevation, substantially on the broken line E6 of Fig. 5.

Fig. '7 is a transverse sectional detail elevation of certain parts otherwise shown in Fig. 4. The feed track has been opened to deliver a row of cartridges to the slotted loading bar and the loading bar rotated to individually grip each cartridge of the row for controlled movement into the reversing device. The section is substantially on the line 1l of Fig. 1.

Fig. 8 is a sectional detail elevation showing a slotted loading bar in its advanced position.

Fig. 9 is a fragmentary sectional plan view, on line 9-9 of Fig. 2, showing the advanced position of the device by which an assembly of rows of cartridges is moved from a shelf or transfer box into the transfer cell.

Fig. 10 is a sectional detail elevation showing certain mechanism in the position it occupies at the end of the upward movement of the elevator.- A complete set of fifty (50) cartridges has just been transferred from the transfer cell into a package tray held in a recess in the tray drum.

Fig. ll is a sectional detail plan of a transfer box.

Fig. 12 is a detached plan of the slotted and grooved transfer bar.

Fig. 13 is a section on the line I3-l3 of Fig. 12.

Fig. la is a sectional detail elevation substantially on the line I i-l4 of Fig. 2, the backer l 48 being retracted.

Drive All moving parts of the machine are actuated directly or indirectly from a main shaft rotated from a suitable source of power. Said main shaft 20 has secured thereto a loading bar oscillating cam 2| and an indexing cam 22. Said indexing cam comprises a spirally disposed open end cam track consisting of flanges 23 and 2 3 defining a track adapted to receive in turn each of a series of rollers 25 which project axially from an indexing disk 26 secured to an arbor 27. It will be obvious that in each revolution of shaft 20 and cam 22 thereon indexing disk 26 will be angularly advanced by an amount equal to the angular spacing of its rollers 25. Several different indexable parts of the machine derive their motion from arbor 21'. The main shaft 20 likewise carries a cam I18 having partial control of tray movement and, through suitable gearing, drives a counter-shaft 29 which carries certain cams, the functions of which will hereafter appear.

Delivery of cartridges to reverser Throughout this specification, the articles to be packaged will be referred to as cartridges, but it will be obvious that the machine throughout is adapted to the handling and packaging of any elongated and longitudinally geometrical asymmetrical articles, and that some novel parts and functions of the machine are adapted to and useful in the packaging of articles generally. The term cartridges is, therefore, to be taken as illustrative, and not restrictive.

Cartridges are supplied to the machine in a plurality of trackways, each comprising side bars 39 and 3| (Figs. 1, 3 and 4) spaced to pass the bodies but not the heads of the cartridges to be handled. The means illustrated comprises five (5) such trackways and associated parts but the number is not material and depends entirely upon the number of rows of articles desired in packaging. The trackways are inclined downwardly toward the delivery end, and each is adapted to contain a row of cartridges suspended by their rims. The means for supplying cartridges to the trackways has not been illustrated, since it forms no part of this invention.

Each track bar 3i! extends into juxtaposition with a vertically disposed transversely extending plate 32 which may be a part of the reverser housing. Each track bar 3| terminates in a position determined by the length of the row of cartridges it is desired to segregate from the continuous row in the trackway. The present machine is arranged for the segregation of car'- tridges into groups of ten (10) each. Forming a continuation of each track bar (it is a laterally movable track piece 33 which. like track bar 33, terminates adjacent plate 32, which plate forms an abutment for the foremost cartridge in each trackway. Each movable track section 33 is connected to a collar 34 (Fig. 7) secured to a transversely movable rod 35. Likewise secured to rod 35 through collars 36 are a series of arms 37, each carrying a laterally projecting pin 38 adapted to enter and pass through an aperture in the associated track bar 39. It will be obvious that when rod 35 is shifted a short distance to the right from the position shown in Fig. 4 (see Fig. 7), each of movable track sections 33 is moved away from the counterpart portion of trackbar 3t and the suspended cartridges therein permitted to fall; and that during this operation the end of each pin 38 projects into its trackway and stops the downward movement of the cartridges behind the group released.

Each group of ten (10) cartridges delivered from the trackways in the manner above described is received in the slotted or forked end portion of a reverser loading bar it, Figs. 5, 7, 8, l2 and 13. Said bars 49 are partly housed in a fixed block ii, which block is slotted, as shown at 42, directly above each bar 48 to enable the passage of cartridges into bar it], as above described. Said slots 452 widen upwardly, to facilitate the entrance of cartridges, and comprise shoulders 53 adapted to support cartridges by their rims while the bodies of such cartridges extend into slots in the associated bar. Each bar comprises an open end slot defined by the side pieces M and 45. The center line of the slot lies in a diameter of the bar. Upon a diameter at a suitable angle to said slot-defining diameter are formed a series of indentations or serrations shown at 66 and 41, the indentations is being in the upper portion of side piece 44 and the indentations 4'! being in the lower portion of side piece d5. When bar 50 is rotated through an angle equal to the aforementioned angle between the slot center and the axis of the serrations, cartridges in the slot are indi vidually firmly held in the serrations. A cartridge in this position is shown in Fig. '7; the rim of the cartridge rests upon and is held by the flanges while the bullet is held in a longitudinal recess 8 communicating with the enlarged loading bar guidin portion of slot Q2.

The terminal unserrated portion ii of each bar 40 normally rests within a bushing 49 in the aforementioned plate 32 and adjacent the first spur gear reverser wheel of the reversing device to be described. When a group of cartridges is dropped from a trackway into a reverser load ing bar 49 the cartridge receiving slot on said bar is in vertical position. The bar is then rotated to the Fig. 7 position to securely and individually engage each cartridge, and is thereafter advanced to deliver the cartridges therein to the reverser. The means for rotating the bars 43 may be as follows:

To each bar it is secured a sleeve The end portion of bar 453 may be reduced, the sleeve applied over the reduced portion, and end portion of the sleeve received in supporting block 4!, as shown in Fig. Each sleeve 55! com: prises a longitudinal slot 5i adapted to receive a key 52 projecting inwardly from a boss 53 which encircles the sleeve 5ft. Each boss 53 has a crank connection with a bar 54, which bar 54 is apertured to receive a crank pin 55 as 'sociated with each of the bosses 53. Bar 54 has a yieldable driven connection 5Eil (Fig. 1) with an operator 56 carrying a roller 51 received in a rectilinear slot 53 in a block 58 mounted for movement transversely of the machine on guide rods 50 and El. In the longitudinal movement of reverser loading bars at roller 5'! travels in slot 58. Block 59 carries a pin 62 received in the forked end of a lever 83 pivoted at M and controlled through the engagement of a roller 65 thereon with the aforementioned loading bar rotating cam 2i. The'design of cam 2| and its relation to other parts to be described is suc that the set of reverser loading bars 56 are first rotated to grip the cartridges therein, then advanced into the reverser, then reversely rotated to release the cartridges and deposit them in the reverser, then returned to normal position.

The means for reciprocating the reverser loading bars may be as follows:

To .each bar 411 is secured a rod 66 which extends within but projects beyond the sleeve 59. Each rod 66 has a bearing in a head block 61 which is common to the set of five loading bars 46 and. associated parts and is mounted for movement longitudinally of the machine on a pair of guide bars, one of which is shown at 68. Each rod 56 extends through its bearing in head block 61 and has secured thereto a fingei piece or handle 69 having a shank it provided with flattened sides which are received in slots in a bracket H secured to head block 61. A spring 72 surrounds the enclosed portion of each rod 66, being compressed between the end of loading bar 40 and an abutment within the head block 6?. Thus, each transfer assembly may yield, if its forward motion is obstructed, or may be manually retracted against the compression of spring 12 and locked in retracted position by rotating it to carry the flattened sides of shank it out of alignment with the slots in bracket H, whereupon the end of said shank abuts the face of the bracket. A second bracket 13 secured to the opposite side of head block El engages the margin of each of the five bosses 53 and causes these bosses to move with the head block.

The means for reciprocating head block 61 may comprise a crank M having a rockable connection T5 with a depending portion of the head block, said crank M being secured to a rock shaft 16 which likewise carries a short arm 11 to which is connected a link 18 (Figs. 1 and 1a) carrying a roller 19 engaged in the track of a cam 89 secured to counter-shaft 29.

Reoerser (see Figs; 4, 5, and 6) The reverser is housed in a closed box comprising the aforementioned side plate 32, a second side plate 8!, articulated top and bottom members 82, 83 and 84, and a covering and joining plate 85. The interior configuration of members 82, 83 and 8A is such as to provide recesses adapted for the peripheral support of five (5) series of spur gear reverser wheels 81, one series being associated with each of the five reverser loading rods. Each reverser wheel comprises a central aperture 88 communicating with radially extending slots 89 and 9!], which slots are perpendicular to each other. Each slot ends in a portion 9i which is transversely enlarged to receive the head of a cartridge. Each of the aforementioned bushings 49 in side plate 32 comprises a circular aperture 92 adapted to receive the body of the reverser loading bar Ml, and a vertically disposed slot 93 having widened end portions 94 intersecting said circular aperture. Each bushing aperture is in alignment with the vertically disposed apertures of a set of reverser wheels, and is likewise so aligned with a reverser loading bar and its mounting that the upwardly facing shoulders defining opening 94 are in alignment with the cartridge supporting shoulders 43. Thus, when the reverser loading bars 46 are advanced into the reversers, in the manner heretofore described, the series of ten cartridges held in the serrations 65-41 pass into and are located in the reverser, one cartridge in each reverser Wheel. The five reverser loading bars 40 are actuated together, so that five sets of reverser wheels are simultaneously loaded, each with a set of ten cartridges suspended by their rims in vertical position, and such cartridges are left in this position as the loading bar retires.

Means are provided for rotating the reversing gear wheels after loading in the manner just described, to arrange the cartridges in each reverser in horizontal position in head-and-tail sequence. As clearly seen in Fig. 6, the reversing wheels of the several sets intermesh and drive each other. Means are provided for reversely turning adjacent wheels of each set through a one-quarter revolution, thus securing in each reverser the desired horizontal row in head-and-tail sequence. This means may be as follows:

Secured to the aforementioned intermittently rotated shaft or arbor 2'! is a pinion lill meshing with a gear Hi2 carried on a stub shaft I03. Gear H32 in turn meshes with a pinion IE4 on an arbor 505 which extends transversely through the reverser and carries a series of pinions H36 meshing respectively with alternate ones of the wheels iii of one of the reversers. The reversers being all geared together, alternate wheels of each of them will be rotated when pinion its is rotated. Pinion lull meshes with a similarv pinion It! on an arbor 598 which, like the arbor [E35, extends transversely of the reverser housing and carries a series of pinions I09 meshing respectively with the alternate reverser wheels 8! not engaged by pinions it. Thus, the reverser wheels engaged by pinions H39 are rotated in the opposite direction from the reverser wheels engaged by pinions l6, and at the end of a quarter revolution of such movement the cartridges are in a horizontally disposed rowin head-and-tail sequence. Simultaneously, the second aperture 96 in each reverser wheel 3? has been brought to a vertical, cartridgereceiv ing position. The next succeeding advance of reverser loading bars s8 ejects the horizontally disposed alternating sequence, through ports 5 iii in wall 8 I while delivering another vertically disposed and uniformally disposed row.

Cartridge transfer conveyor The means for receiving the alternating sequences of cartridges ejected from the reversers comprises a series of shelf or transfer boxes, identified generally by numeral Ill, carried by a chain conveyor H2 which passes over a sprocket H3 on intermittently rotated shaft 2? and a sprocket lid on a stub shaft H5. The transfer boxes are open at both ends to enable loading from one end and unloading from the opposite end. Each box comprises side plates l Iii-4 ll, a top plate H3, and a bottom plate H9 through which each box is attached to the chain i ll. The upper reach of chain i i2 is inclined (Fig. a), and the bottom plate i E9 of each transfer box is correspondingly inclined, to secure a vertical positioning of each transfer box during loading.

Each transfer box comprises a series of five (5),

shelves I23 supported in suitable slots in the side walls 'II5II'I. The shelves are so made and supported (Fig. 11) as to secure a certain flexibility of their end portions. The widened and supported part of each shelf is relatively short, and an unsupported tongue I2I extends therefrom toward the delivery end. The loading end is slotted to provide a tongue I22, the terminal portion of which is overturned to form a bead I23 which prevents retrograde movement of cartridges supported upon the shelf. Premature movement of cartridges from the unloading end of the shelf box during its transit from loading position to unloading position is prevented by juxtaposed members upon which the end cartridges in the shelf box slide. One such member is the normally fixed and vertically disposed plate I24 (Figs. 1a and 5). After traversing this plate, the cartridges are supported by the end face of the tray loading drum to be described.

As seen in Fig. 4, the spacing of shelf boxes I I I on chain I I2 is such that one shelf box is located opposite the exit port I III of each reverser. Moreover, the inclination of the upper reach of chain H2 is such that the top shelf of a transfer box is opposite the port IID of the first or left-hand (Fig. 6) reverser, the next lower shelf is opposite the port I II] of the next reverser to the right, and so on throughout the series, so that the election of a row of cartridges from each reverser loads one particular shelf of the shelf box. During the rotation of the reverser wheels as above described, each shelf box is indexed from position opposite one reverser to position opposite the next reverser to the right; thus, a shelf box having passed all five reverses is fully loaded, containing five rows of ten cartridges each, each row being supported upon a shelf. Further indexing movements of a loaded shelf box bring such box to an unloading position, in which the five rows of cartridges contained therein are simultaneously moved out of the shelf box and into a transfer cell.

Transfer cell The transfer cell I 25 is essentially an upwardly opening rectilinear recess in the periphery of a substantially cylindrical aperture I5I in the upper portion of a fixed member I58. The cell I25 is open at both ends, as well as at the top. A

loaded shelf box is indexed to a position opposite a one end of the cell, and a comb member comprising five blades is advanced to engage the end cartridge on each shelf of the shelf box to simultaneously move all of the five rows into the transfer cell. A backer which reciprocates through the transfer cell supports the foremost cartridge in each row during this movement. It will be seen from Figs. 3 and 9 that the shelves I20 of each transfer box converge toward their delivery end and that the mouth or entrance end of the transfer cell is widened or tapered to effect further convergence of the five rows as they enter the transfer cell, with the result that in the transfer cell the five rows are nested together in a group conforming exactly to their arrangement in the package tray.

The comb or pusher, by which the cartridges are moved from the transfer box to the transfer cell, and its operating means may be as follows-attention being invited to Figs. 2 and 9:

The aforementioned rock shaft I6 carries a crank I25 having a yielding connection indicated at I21I28 with an arm I29 loosely mounted on rock shaft It. The upper end of arm I29 is received in a shoe I33 depending from a slide bar ISI which extends through a fixed supporting andguiding member I32. Secured to slide bar I3I is a comb head I33 which carries a comb consisting of five substantially similar blade-like members I34 adapted to be projected between the shelves of a shelf box I I I. The guideway supplied by member I32 is laterally inclined to effect a movement of comb blades I34 in parallelism with the converging shelves of the shelf box. The parts are shown in normal position in Fig. 2 and in advanced position in Fig. 9, in which each comb blade I34 has been advanced into and through a shelf box, to eject all of the cartridges therefrom.

The backer operates in synchronism with the comb, being controlled by a cam I38 on countershaft 29, which cam by means of a follower link I33 oscillates a lever I43 about a pivot I4I. Lever I40 has a yieldable driving connection comprising a spring I42 and a rod I43 with a crank I44, which crank engages a shoe I45 on a bar I45 slidably mounted in the frame. Preferably, but not necessarily, the movement of backer bar I46 is parallel to the movement of comb bar I3 I. cured to bar I46 is the backer itself, comprising a flat horizontally disposed bar I41 with a downturned end I48. The backer is normally in the position shown in Fig. 2, in which it provides a support for the endmost cartridges in a shelf box in unloading position. The backer is retired as the comb is advanced and continues to support the foremost cartridge until the complete set of fifty nested cartridges in the transfer cell are shifted therefrom into a tray in the transfer drum in the manner to be described.

The fioor of the transfer cell consists of a platform elevator I50 carried at the upper end of a vertically reciprocable rod I5I. Means are provided, as shown in Fig. 2, for adjusting the effective length of rod I5I, and the lower end of said rod is pivoted to a lever I52. Lever I52 is pivoted to the frame at I53 and carries a cam follower I54 which engages the periphery of an open cam I55 on counter-shaft 29. The cam follower is held in contact with the cam by suitable means, such as spring I55. The timing is such that elevator I59 is lifted from the Fig. 2 position to the Fig. 10 position when delivery comb I34 and backer I48 are in the position shown in Fig. 9, the end cartridges of the set being held by the comb teeth and the backer respectively and the sides of the set being supported by the sides of the cell. When the parts are in the Fig. 10 position the set of nested cartridges has been lifted by elevator I5Il into a tray held in a recess in the tray drum.

Tray handling The tray drum I 53 is a short cylindrical member secured to an arbor I65. the drum is closely adjacent the interior arcuate surface I51 of member I58 except at the top where the support member I53 is cut away to expose the drum. Said drum comprises a plurality of tray-receiving recesses IEI substantially conforming in configuration and size to the trays to be loaded. The interior dimensions of the transfer cell, as defined by the spacing of its side walls and the spacing of backer I48 from the ends of comb blades I34 when in the Fig. 9

position, does not exceed and is preferably slightly less than the transverse dimensions of the tray to be loaded, so that a set of fifty cartridges can be lifted by elevator I56 into a tray without engagement with the margins of The periphery ofthe tray walls. It will be noted that when loaded each tray is in inverted position. Elevator I59 remains in its uppermost position during the initial indexing movement of the tray drum and affords a support for the cartridges in the tray until they come to be supported by the arcuate surface I El. The length of the tray drum is substantially equal to the outside length of the trays being loaded.

Arbor IE is intermittently rotated through the engagement of a pinion I62 (Fig. 2) thereon with an idler pinion I63 which in turn is engaged by the aforementioned gear it! carried on arbor 21. The tray drum is thus indexed in synchronism with the conveyor H2 and the reverser wheels. To insure accurate placement of these devices in the positions to which they are indexed, the aforementioned gear Hi2 may comprise a series of apertures I64 adapted to be engaged by the rounded end of a rod I65 secured through an arm 166 to head block 6! which, it

will be recalled, is reciprocated to effect the movement of groups of cartridges into the re- I7 5. Said trackway may be inclined downwardly toward its delivery end, as seen in Fig. 2, and terminates in position to deliver trays therefrom to a tray-receiving recess lfil at the top of drum I55. Means are provided for simultaneously placing an empty tray in the drum and removing a loaded tray therefrom. For this purpose, there may be secured to the end of the head block 5'! an arm M5 to which is pivotally attached a link H6, which link thus reciprocates with head block t'l. Link I16 terminates in a cam follower I'll which contacts the periphery of a cam lid on main shaft 29. Secured to link H5 is a laterally and downwardly extending finger 11$ adapted, when the link is in its normal (Fig. 2) position, to enter an empty tray in the tray delivery track Ills-Alt. The timing is such that when link H6 is moving to the left (Fig. 2) the finger is elevated out of tray engagement, and when the link is moving to the right the finger is lowered to engage the inside of the end wall of the empty tray adjacent the loading drum and move said tray into the drum, at the same time ejecting a loaded tray from the opposite side of the drum. Loaded trays thus ejected are received on a conveyor, identified generally by numeral ltd, and intermittently moved through its engagement with sprocket wheels Nil secured to the aforementioned arbor [68.

The operation of the machine as a whole has been summarized at the beginning of this speciiication.

What is claimed is:

1. Apparatus for arranging a row of articles in an alternating head-and-tail sequence comprising a series of rotatable members each having an article receiving aperture intersecting its axis of rotation, means for placing an article in each of said apertures, means for reversely rotating adjoining members of said series of members to reversely position the article therein, and means 10 for ejecting the group of reversely oriented articles from said members.

2. Apparatus for arranging a row of articles in an alternating head-and-tail sequence comprising a series of concentricallyjuxtaposed disks, each disk having an article-receiving aperture therein intersecting its axis of rotation, means for placing an article in each of said apertures, means for reversel rotating adjacent disks to reversely orient adjacent articles therein, and means for ejecting the group of reversely oriented articles from said disk apertures.

3. Apparatus for arranging a row of articles in an alternating headand-tail sequence comprising a series of concentrically juxtaposed disks, each disk having an article-receiving aperture therein intersecting its axis of rotation, means for placing an article in each of said apertures, means for reversely rotating adjacent disks to reversely orient adjacent articles therein, and means for ejecting the group of reversely oriented articles from said disk apertures, said apertures being adapted to receive and hold articles with the longitudinal centers of said articles in alignment with the axis of rotation of said disks.

4. Apparatus according to claim 3 in which each disk aperture is of a configuration corresponding to a section of an elongated and longitudinally asymmetric article.

5. Apparatus according to claim 3 in which said disks are provided with peripheral teeth by which said disks are rotated.

6. Apparatus according to claim 3 comprising a housing having peripheral engagement with said series of disks, whereby said disks are held in alignment for rotation about a central axis.

7. Apparatus according to claim 3 in which each of said apertures comprises a widened end portion adapted to receive and support the head of a flanged article.

8. Apparatus according to claim 3 in which each of said disks comprises a plurality of apertures angularly disposed with respect to each other and intersecting in the axisof rotation of said disks.

9. Apparatus according to claim 8 in which said plurality of apertures in said disks are disposed at an angle of substantially to each other.

10. Apparatus according to claim 9 in which said disk rotating means is adapted in each actuation thereof to rotate each of said disks through an arc of 90, whereby articles previously positioned in one set of disk apertures are arranged in a row in alternating head-and-tail sequence and a second set of disk apertures is positioned to receive a following row of articles in uniform orientation.

- 11. Apparatus for simultaneously arranging a plurality of rows of articles in alternating headand-tail sequence comprising a plurality of reversing devices associated respectively with said plurality of rows of articles, each of said reversing devices comprising a series of juxtaposed gears, each gear having therein an aperture adapted to hold an article with substantially the midpoint of the longitudinal axis of the article in alignment with the axis of rotation of said gear, housing means adapted to maintain the gears of each of said series in position for rotation about said axis, the gears of each of said series meshing with the gears of adjacent series to efiect simultaneous rotation of all of said gears, and driving means associated with the gears of one of said series to reversely rotate adjoining gears of such series.

"3.1 12. Apparatus for arranging a row of articles in alternating head-and-tail sequence comprising a reversing device having a series of axially aligned, juxtaposed gears each having therein an aperture adapted to receive one of a plurality of articles, means for reversely rotating adjacent gears of said series to reversely position articles in the apertures therein, means for simultaneously feeding a plurality of articles to said reversing device comprising a feed member having side elements defining an elongated article-receiving slot, means associated with said feed member for separating and spacing articles of said row according to the spacing of the several gears of said reversing device, and means for advancing said feed member into said reversing device to deliver the articles therein to said reversing device.

13. Apparatus for arranging a row of articles in alternating head-and-tail sequence comprising a reversing device having a series of movable 5 elements adapted to simultaneously receive and reverse a plurality of articles, means ior simultaneously feeding a plurality of articles to said reversing device comprising a feed member having side elements defining an elongated articlere'ceiving slot, means associated with said feed member for separating and spacing articles of said row according to the spacing of the several elements of said reversing device, and means for advancing said feed member into said reversing device to deliver the articles therein to said reversing device, said article feed. member comprising article gripping means adapted to secure- 1y hold articles therein in spaced relaticn as said feed member advances into said reversing device and to release said articles when in its advanced position, whereby said articles remain in said reversing device as said feed member is retracted to normal position.

14. Apparatus according to claim 13 in which said article feed member is a slotted bar, the lateral surfaces of said slot comprising a plurality of arcuate indentations adapted for engagement with the surfaces of cylindrical articles.

15. Apparatus according to claim 14 comprisa2 'ing'means for rotating said article feed barprior to its advance movement to bring said indentations into gripping engagement with articles therein and to reversely rotate said bar at the end of its advance movement to release the articles therein to be retained in said reversing device.

16. Apparatus according to claim 15 in which there is associated with said slotted feed bar an article supporting and guiding means adapted to complement the gripping action of said feed bar when rotated to article gripping position.

17. Apparatus according to claim 16 in which said reversing device comprises article supporting and guiding means in alignment with said fixed guiding means adapted to support and retain delivered articles in said reversing device a said article feed bar is retracted.

18. Apparatus according to claim 17 in which the advance movement of said article feed bar is effective to eject from said reversing device a row of previously reversed articles.

WARREN S. REYNOLDS.

GEORGE E. BANGE. JOHN R. TURNER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent: 

